A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
WAR is generally supposed to be good for the daily papers, particularly the evening papers, and this war may so far be running true to form. But unless conditions change considerably the papers will find life hard. So far all the news it is permissible to give is broadcast five or six times daily, and it is certain that so far as actual facts go the man who turns the radio on at eight in the morning will learn more from it than he can from the paper just delivered at his door. Of course the papers have their own messages from centres like Washington and Paris, and various special features to which their readers are accustomed, but the habit of buying two or three papers in case one or other of them has some special item will not last ; there are no special items. Leading articles will still retain their value, but here, too, the Ministry of Information has taken to invading the field—unfortunately, as it seems to me. The issue, for example, by radio and through the Press of a comment on Goering's speech, introduced by the words "it is considered in official circles that . . .," raises many questions. What are "official circles "? The Prime Minister? Lord Halifax? Lord Macmillan? Some civil servant or other member of the Ministry of Information staff? We are not told. It is important that the Ministry of Information should publish facts, and as promptly and liberally as possible ; whether it is desirable for it to circulate opinions is much more doubt- ful. Germans have for six years been told officially what to think. We have not, and are certainly not the worse for it.
* * * *
Previous page
